[FROM Dennis Delprato (941003)]
Re: open-loop tests of control systems
[From Bill Powers (941002.0830 MDT)]
In summary, "breaking the loop" to observe open-loop responses to
arbitrary changes in the input is not a practical method for
characterizing human control systems. Nor are tests of passive
perception that do not involve control likely to tell us about the
characteristics of control systems.
Let me see if I correctly understand the theory of living
systems that will only gain widespread acceptance late in
the 21st century: Bill's lengthy comment that ends as
above comes down to:
1. Open-loop analysis of living systems is impossible
because no matter how far down one goes, there is always
a lower, or another, control system.
2. The PCT is holistic. Observing, manipulating parts
of one is to destroy the unit PCT.
3. Reductionism in the sense of giving causal status to
a part of a PCT is not applicable.
Dennis Delprato
Department of Psychol.
Eastern Mich. Univ.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
psy_delprato@emuvax.emich.edu